A review by megatza
Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 1721. Bennett Sharp is a pirate. She’s always felt more comfortable with a deck below her feet than dry land. She is the captain of the Jade, a gift from her father, a notorious pirate himself, and she’s worked to earn her reputation as a fair captain among her crew and a fearsome pirate on the seas. She’s tied herself to another pirate named Priest, who she can’t escape and yet can’t get enough of…until she meets Commodore Ashley Cutler, pirate hunter of the Royal Navy, who captures her with the intent to take her to England to see her hanged. Something electric connects her to Ashley, though, and she’ll fight through the trials of the seas to save him. 

First of all, if you haven’t seen this from others yet PLEASE CHECK CONTENT WARNINGS before picking this book up. There are some moments that are very difficult to read, ranging from death to abuse to slavery to assault. If you have concerns, I am happy to chat with you about them. That said, this was easier for me to read than some of the antihero books this spring, as the majority of CWs were from external sources rather than hero against heroine, and read instead like gritty fantasy. 

That said, this book was a surprising favorite for me this month. I’ve been obsessed with pirates since I was a child (let’s start by blaming Hook as a seminal childhood movie), and as I told the group on Discord “I’ll do anything for pirates.” In Sea of Ruin, Godwin captures a beautiful balance between the grit and glamor and the adventure and danger of the high seas. It blends adventure and romance in all the ways I crave when I open a book like this: fierce and sensitive characters facing every challenge head on. 

Thanks to @reads.by.rae for getting this on my radar in the first place and to our still unnamed romance book club for reading this together! I cannot wait to discuss! 

 
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